日本海鰻魚瀕臨絶滅

Recently the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

ニホンウナギ絶滅危惧種:「食文化守るため」…料理店理解

毎日新聞　2013年02月01日　23時30分（最終更新　02月02日　00時46分）

　環境省が１日、不漁の続く天然のニホンウナギを「絶滅危惧種」に指定。「近い将来に野生での絶滅の危険性が高い」と判断した。指定に法的な規制力はなく、漁獲や取引は制限されない。供給不足を補うため、水産庁は中国、台湾との共同資源管理に着手。一方、国内のウナギ料理店は「日本の食文化を守るため」として、指定による「種の保存」に理解を示す。

　今回の指定は、ウナギ店にどんな影響を与えるのか。ウナギ店が軒を連ねる成田山新勝寺（千葉県成田市）の参道。創業１００年を超える老舗というウナギ料理店「川豊」の店主は「すし、天ぷらと同じく日本の食文化で、消えてはならない。数が捕れなくなっている中では、種の保存のために指定するのは仕方がない」と受け止める。

　東京都港区のウナギ料理店「野田岩」の６代目、金本昇さん（４６）も「これだけ減っているから、いつか指定されるだろうとは思っていた」と冷静だ。ただ、「指定されたことを消費者がどう受け止め、客足がどうなるかは予想がつかない」と話す。

　食の専門家でつくる日本フードアナリスト協会（東京都千代田区）の横井裕之理事長は「天然物のウナギは脂の乗り方が健康的でとても貴重。日本人の食とは切っても切れない関係にある。食文化を守るため、強制力のある何らかの規制もやむを得ない。稚魚の量が回復することに期待したい」と話す一方、「仕入れ値にはね返り、ウナギ店の営業に影響が出るかもしれない」と懸念も語った。

(試譯文)

On the first of this month, the Ministry of Environment pointed out that the natural Nihon Eel, which had a poor catch continuously, was an "endangered species". It judged that "the danger of its extinction in the near future in the wildness is high". There was no specific legal restricting force, and neither the fish catch nor the dealings were restricted. In order to compensate for the short supply, the Fisheries Agency started joint resource control with China and Taiwan. On the other hand, a domestic eel restaurant showed its understanding that "in order to keep Japanese gastronomic culture" there was the need for specific "preservation of the species"

What kind of influence would this specification have on an eel store? The approach road to the Narita Sanshinshouji (Narita-shi, Chiba) there were eel stores standing side by side. The storekeeper of an eel restaurant "Kawatoyo" which was a long-established store that was founded over 100 years indicated that "it is Japanese gastronomic culture, same as sushi and tempura and it must not disappear. As it is impossible to catch a certain number, it is thought that specifying it for preservation as a species is unavoidable."

Mr. Noboru Kanamoto (46) the 6th generation of the eel restaurant "Iwao Noda" in Minato-ku, Tokyo who was staying calm “thought that since it has decreased this much, it should be specified". However, he also said "it is impossible to make predictions on how the consumers would respond to the specification, and on what would happen to customer flow".

The Hiroyuki Yokoi chairman of the board of directors of the Japanese Food Analysts Association (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) which grouped together food specialists said that "the wild eels are very healthy and precious in terms of putting on fat. Japanese people have an inseparable relation with food. In order to keep gastronomic culture, certain regulations with legal power are unavoidable, and would like to see that the quantity of the fry could recover”; yet concern was also expressed in that "the price will bounce back and the business of the eel stores may be affected"

So, the Japanese love eating eels that are caught from the sea. My understanding is that they regularly import eels from China.